Review by gabs_loc - The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls

gabs_loc 's review for:

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani

2.0

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

In the midst of the Great Depression, Thea Atwell, 15, is sent off to a riding school in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. A mysterious role in a family tragedy, Thea has been cast out of her Florida home. Thea finds the adjustment hard, as the riding school has a complex social ladder compared to her free range childhood on a citrus farm where the only other child Thea shared her time with was her twin brother Sam. As the book progressesThea grapples with her responsibility for the events of the past year that led her here, and finds herself taken into a new and provocative situations.

The more I ruminate on this one, the less I like it. I thought Thea was quite selfish and bratty. The narrative kept hinting at “something bad” that happened, but it was quite obvious what it was leading up to the whole time. And the “something bad” was uncomfortable and gross. Maybe the point was to make the reader uncomfortable, which it certainly did, but I couldn’t stand how there wasn’t a good ending for any of the characters and seemingly nothing turned out happy. I also was very much hoping for more equestrianism in the book. While it existed, it seemed to be less of a focus than I thought it would. Two stars.

Content Warnings